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The Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Prince William enjoys impromptu pint at the pub with locals after braving the rain for muddy Dartmoor visit
PRINCE William enjoyed an impromptu pint during a muddy visit to Dartmoor yesterday. The Duke of Cornwall braved heavy rain and wind to visit Royal Tor Bog, near Yelverton, Devon, and spoke to men and women working in collaboration to help restore the "special" landscape. 4 4 After working up a thirst, William headed to the Prince of Wales pub in the picturesque village of Princetown. He sipped on a local cider at the bar and chatted to locals before making his way home. The Prince's project will focus on a "coordinated public and private investment" to restore peatlands and upland mosaic habitats in the south Devon area. 'I'm keen to continue my father's work as well,' said William, who inherited responsibility for the land with the Duchy of Cornwall in 2022. 'For me it's about the impact, I want to see stuff actually happen. We've done the talking now, we've put the vision together, the design, now it's about the activation.' Pointing to an area of bog which has been restored, he added: 'Even though this is a small bit, we need to get more and more of this going on all around Dartmoor to bring it back to its former glory while still keeping the farming and everything else going.' The Prince spoke out after discussing a new 20-year plan to give fresh life to Dartmoor's wilderness while helping to protect it from climate change with a group including Tony Juniper, chair of Natural England and Phil Stocker, Chair of Dartmoor Land Use Management Group. As they chatted in the steady downpour, the Prince joked: 'I came to talk about the fires and a plan to re-wet peat!' Referring to the Landscape Vision, he said: 'To be able to bring everyone together, I think, is not only crucial to the whole thing but it sets a model for how it can be done elsewhere. "And that's what I love doing. Whatever we do here, other people can follow what we're doing. 'So much of it is local leadership and collaboration. If you put those two together, things can be adapted.' The Prince said not everyone believed the vision to restore the land within just two decades was possible. '[They said] 20 years, good luck, it's going to take longer than that! These things take time, they really do. "But at least if you set up a path and move in that direction, everyone will move in the same direction.' The Prince heard from Stocker how they had been 'making progress' in bringing different people on board with the plan. 'The one thing that has come through is the enthusiasm," Phil said. Morag Angus, of the South West Peatland Partnership, told William how the land they were looking at had become more barren and dry and was benefitting from a 're-wetting' process. She said afterwards: 'If someone like the Prince is coming down here, it just shows that he's thinking about it and how important is. "And I think it just galvanizes everyone and gets everyone on board and gets them coming here to talk about it, but also to make sure we action things and we make meaningful restoration happen. "See it happening, rather than just talking about it." 4 4
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Prince William looks the part in a flat cap and wellington boots as he visits a muddy Dartmoor after unveiling 'ambitious' 20-year plan to restore 'special' landscape
Prince William has stepped out in Dartmoor today after unveiling an 'ambitious' 20-year plan to restore the 'special' landscape. Looking the part in a pair of wellington boots and a flat cap, the Prince of Wales, known also as the Duke of Cornwall, visited Tor Bog, an area of restored peatland on the moor. His outing comes as the royal's estate, Duchy of Cornwall, launched a new project to 'create a resilient environment' and meet the changing needs of Dartmoor's communities. In a foreword to the Landscape Vision project, designed as a 20-year roadmap, William said that restoring nature and tackling global warming are key to keeping the area 'special'. His statement read: 'Dartmoor is a magnificent and complex ecosystem – the balance between nature and people has evolved for thousands of years to shape the landscape we recognise today. 'To keep Dartmoor special, we must respond to the twin challenges of global warming and the requirement to restore nature, while ensuring the communities on Dartmoor can thrive. 'The Dartmoor Vision shows us what might be possible and how that might be achieved. 'It is bold and ambitious and something that I hope, by working together, can be delivered for not just the current generation but for generations to come.' Researchers found the average number of frost days in Dartmoor is expected to halve over the next 40 years while the odds of a dry summer will rise by 30 per cent, the Duchy of Cornwall said. It added that 2C of global warming could prevent Dartmoor being suitable for blanket peatland, which stores carbon and water and sustains biodiversity. The project - which outlines a set of guiding principles to inform the future environmental management of the Duchy's Dartmoor estate - will focus on 'coordinated public and private investment' to restore peatlands and upland mosaic habitats in the south Devon area. Convened by the Duchy of Cornwall and Central Dartmoor Landscape Recovery Project, it is also seeking to create 'partnerships between landowners, farmers and wildlife teams' and foster 'collaboration and mutual respect in what has historically been a contested landscape'. The duchy said it will promote sustainable farming as well as initiatives to provide affordable housing for landscape managers and retiring workers. Around 35,000 people live in Dartmoor and more than two million people visit each year. Dartmoor provides essential resources such as clean water, timber and grazing land, with its vast peatlands also acting as an important store of carbon and water. The Landscape Vision has been developed to support the creation of a resilient environment for the future, based on input from those who know, rely on, and care for Dartmoor - including graziers, foresters, ecologists, farmers, peatland restorers, hydrologists, water companies, soldiers, fire services, conservationists, and custodians. William's outing comes as the royal's estate, Duchy of Cornwall, launched a new project to 'create a resilient environment' and meet the changing needs of Dartmoor's communities Claire Hyne, project manager at Central Dartmoor Landscape Recovery Project, said: 'The Central Dartmoor Landscape Recovery Project plans to continue to work alongside the duchy, farmers and commoners to co-create integrated land management plans whilst identifying opportunities for green finance and funding to help sustain farm businesses, test new ideas and deliver positive environmental outcomes.' Matthew Morris, rural director at the Duchy of Cornwall, said they want to set up a 'shared and multifunctional approach to the way the land is farmed, managed, and used, and in doing so create a more resilient Dartmoor environment'. Mr Morris added: 'With the Dartmoor landscape increasingly vulnerable to climate change, the need to build resilience is clearer than ever.' Meanwhile, Tony Juniper, Chair of Natural England, said: 'The historic and beautiful landscapes of Dartmoor can once again be vibrant with characteristic wildlife, if common cause can be forged among those who work in and enjoy this wonderful place. 'I commend the inclusive approach taken by the Duchy of Cornwall and Central Dartmoor Landscape Recovery project in shaping this vision for Dartmoor. 'Natural England supports the key principles and actions, and we look forward to supporting its implementation both directly and alongside those people who live and work in this special place.'
